lectin

[lek-tin]

noun Biochemistry.

any of a group of proteins that bind to particular carbohydrates in the manner of an antibody and are commonly extracted from plants for use as an agglutinin, as in clumping red blood cells for blood typing.

Nearby words

Origin of lectin

1954; < Latin lēct(us), past participle of legere to gather, select, read + -in²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lectin

WGA is classified as a lectin—a term for a protein produced by an organism to protect itself from predation.
Wheat Threatens All Humans, New Research Shows|David Perlmutter, MD|December 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Thar hain't been such a run in Kanoy County sence they stopped 'lectin' country fellers fer sheriff.
Lippincott's Magazine, August, 1885|Various

British Dictionary definitions for lectin

lectin

noun

a type of protein possessing high affinity for a specific sugar; lectins are often highly toxic

Word Origin for lectin

C20: from Latin lectus, past participle of legere to select + -in

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for lectin

lectin

[lĕk′tĭn]

n.

Any of several plant glycoproteins that bind to specific carbohydrate groups on the cell membranes, used in the laboratory to stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes and to agglutinate red blood cells.